The Other Side of the Sun
by ThePencelle17
Summary: After pushing his parents over the edge, Bakugou’s sent to UA; A peculiar rehabilitation center geared towards troubled teens with an array of different problems. Thrown into the eye of the storm, Bakugou finds himself swallowed into a group of quirky friends who push him to not only be himself but the best version of it.
1. Chapter One

Bakugou's life seemed to be - at least to him - a series of poor choices that ultimately turned out relatively okay for him in the end. Some guardian angel loser really seemed to have his back when it came to these things. Whether it was diving head first into a fist fight with upperclassmen and somehow managing to scrape by enough to deliver one good, satisfying blow or deciding to skip out on studying all together (in favor for the new All Might: One for All video game he'd been saving up for since an hour after he heard of it's rumored release) and still passing a test with flying colors. He prided himself on being a master of half-assing and bullshitting himself to number one.

But this? Now, this had to be the dumbest thing he'd ever done and this time, his ' guardian angel' was nowhere to be seen.

"You lit a child on fire !?" his mother's voice pulled him from his trance causing him to curl in on himself with a discontent grunt, "Katsuki! We've been over this god knows how many times! You've been taking your meds, haven't you? Am I doing something wrong? Do we need to get your therapist to up the dosage?"

"Fuck no."

"Then tell me what the hell we're supposed to do, you damn brat!" she snapped back, glaring at him through his reflection in the rearview mirror, "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get Principal Hakamata to agree to enroll you? Three schools Katsuki! Three! How did you even sneak matches on campus!? Don't they search you at the gates!?"

Bakugou averted his gaze, watching the cars lazily drift past them. Unfortunately, it was an hours drive from Besuto Jīnisuto Academy (who in their right mind names a high school after jeans? Sure as fuck beat him) which his old hag of a mother used to nag his ear off. It wasn't like he woke up that morning and decided to light a fucker up. It kinda just happened. "I didn't fucking sneak matches on campus, you damn harridan," he snarled back, "it kinda just happened."

"How does that ' kinda just happen'?" Mitsuki snapped back, turning around to glare at him head on once they were stopped at an intersection. He shrugged his shoulders and dropped his attention towards the hemline of his uniform jacket, lightly picking at is charred threads. The car started moving again followed by a brief sigh from his mother. "What are we doing wrong, kid?" she breathed out, "Did we spoil you too much growing up? Did I not teach you how to deal with your emotions well enough? I'm at a loss here. I thought your therapy was helping. You haven't had an episode like this for months now."

"The kid pissed me off."

Mitsuki shot another glare in his direction before turning her gaze back to the road ahead of them, signaling right to get into the right turn lane. "I don't give a damn if the loser pissed you off or not," she hissed back, "you're supposed to not let your rage get the best of you, Katsuki! What about the breathing exercise Dr.Shuzenji taught you? In for four? Hold for, what? Eight? Out for eight?"

"Hold for seven."

"Yeah! What about that?" the older woman asked, "did you at least try?"

"Shut up!" Katsuki exploded back, feeling the all too familiar feeling spark up within him. He snapped his eyes shut and drew in a sharp breath, begrudgingly counting to four within his head. He held it there for a few seconds; trying to redirect his anger into different parts of his body as his mind finally reached seven. He blew the air out through his nose and allowed his eyes to snap open, glaring dagger at his mother. "Just shut up. I'm not some dysfunctional nutcase! I shouldn't have to do meditation every damn time some extra steps on my toes!"

She eyed him tiredly before letting out another small sigh. He could practically feel the disappointed waves rolling off of her; suffocating the vehicle. He curled into himself further and focused on the rhythm of his heart-rate. They sat there in silence for a few, painful minutes before his mother opened her mouth to speak up again. "Your father should be there when we get home. I'll call your therapist and we'll all try and come up with a solution to this together okay?"

All Bakugou could do was grunt.

"Can you talk me through your thought process?" the small, older woman asked the following evening, carefully observing him from the other side of the comfortable office. Bakugou glared at her before pressing his lips together. He could practically hear his mother nagging him to listen to the silver-haired woman. He sunk back in his chair before throwing his gaze towards the clock on the wall. He was usually pretty good at bullshitting his way out of what he didn't wanna talk about but with her eyes cropping him down and well over forty-five minutes left in their session, he really couldn't get out of this one.

He couldn't imagine what his mother told her over the phone.

"What is there to explain?" he muttered, picking at his nails, "the loser wouldn't shut the hell up so I snapped. The end."

"What lead up to it?" she pressed further. He threw a glance in her direction before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "What were you feeling? What thoughts were you having? When did you make the decision to start the fire? Break it down for me Katsuki. You're always telling me I don't understand so help me understand. What made you light your classmate on fire?"

"We were doing this stupid project in chemistry," he started out, grinding his teeth together, "which was really fucking stupid on my teachers part because who gives a kid with fucking IED an annoying ass partner and flammable chemicals. What the hell did he expect to happen!? Did he think I was gonna become best buds with this kid? The loser wouldn't shut up! Just kept talking about bullshit I don't give a flying fuck about! Who cares if he went to a goddamn party? Do I look like I-"

"Katsuki."

He sucked in a deep breath and went through the motions again. In for four. Hold for seven. Out for eight. Repeat where needed. When he felt himself beginning to calm down, he blew out a breath through his nose. Dr.Shuzenji smiled softly at him before motioning for him to continue. "He was being really fuckin annoying and it was pissing me off," he dropped his gaze again as he shifted slightly in his seat, "so I mixed the damn potassium permanganate and glycerin like we were instructed to do, waiting for the lame ass reaction to start sparking, then shoved it at him. It wasn't like I wanted to light the kid on fire. That's just kinda how it fucking worked out in the end."

"Did you feel satisfied watching him catch on fire?" she asked, her tone all too knowing. Bakugou felt his stomach twist in on itself, dread cramping around his mind. He clenched his fists in his pockets and ground his teeth together. If looks could kill, the small coffee table sitting between them would probably have combusted by now. The truth was he felt delighted watching the scrawny kid screech and fumble to get his uniform jacket off. He smiled when the class was thrown into chaos. He was beyond satisfied right after the fact. There was always a momentary rush after he snapped. A relief. A feeling of satisfaction.

Those feelings were almost enough to counteract the negatives.

"No," he finally ground out, raising his gaze to eye the woman, "Yes? A little? I don't know. At first, I did. Felt like he deserved it or something but then I was called into the fucking office and they called my parents. Then got an earful from the hag."

"Do you think it was worth it?" How was he supposed to answer that? He didn't regret it but he wouldn't do it again. He dug his nails into his palms and flexed his shoulders. Was it worth it? Dr.Shuzenji let out a small breath before standing up from the chair across from him. "How about we call it a day, Katuski? I need to talk to your parents." She moved over towards the door and slowly opened it, motioning out into the hallway for who he assumed to be his parents. Sure enough, his mother came tumbling into the room followed by his apologetic looking father. Katsuki let out a low growl and moved to stand up.

"Katsuki," his mother bit out, "sit down."

The three of them huddled up on the on the small two-person couch while Dr.Shuzenji returned to her chair across from them. "Normally I'd recommend increasing his dosages," she started, eyeing the three of them causing his father to tense to his side. He threw a glance at the timid male before turning back towards the doctor in front of them. "We certainly have room to do so if needed but at this point, I don't think that'll do us much good. It's our goal to get him to a self-sufficient level eventually so I really don't think creating a dependance for Prozac is our best option."

"So what do you suggest?" Masaru finally piped up, taking the initiative for the first time since the incident. He threw a fleeting glance at Katuski before turning back to the woman in front of them. "Is there any other treatment options? Maybe we could jump to three sessions a week? Try a different medication for a little while we figure it out?" Dr.Shuzenji nodded her head slowly, tapping her pen on the edge of her clipboard absentmindedly.

"I suppose those are a few options, yes," she noted, allowing her gaze to sweep past Masaru to Mitsuki before finally falling still on Katsuki. She seemed to turn the idea out in her head before glancing down at the papers below her. "Unfortunately, he's almost seventeen. I really don't think we should spend time trying to find a treatment that might work in the long run. We have a little over a year before he should be off to university. It's my goal to get him to a better place before he's an adult. Outbursts like these will be handled differently when he's legally an adult. I'd hate to see him end up in prison before we've found an appropriate treatment method."

Mitsuki exchanged a glance with Masaru.

"I was thinking we could try something different than what he's used to," the silver-haired woman stated, "Something a little unconventional and a little more direct if you will."

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I have a few colleagues just outside of Tokyo in Musutafu. While their methods may seem a little less structured and more free-form, the success rate for their treatments are the highest in Japan," the woman shifted in her seat before sending them a smile. "Although it is a little on the expensive side so I'd understand if you'd like to-"

"Money isn't a problem," Mitsuki cut in, "Just tell us how we can help our son. What are their names and how can I contact them? I'll call them immediately to set up some sessions for Katsuki. Is their office in Musutafu, too? I'm sure I can set some time aside to drive him up there a few times a week."

"That won't be necessary," Dr.Shuzenji explained. She scribbled something down on her clipboard before unclipping the paper and handing it across the table towards them. Mitsuki hesitated for a moment before taking the page, reading over the form. Her gaze shot towards the older woman

"You want to send my son to a rehab center?" Katsuki's gaze snapped towards the paper then back to his doctor.

"Oh fuck no!" he seethed, snatching the paper from his mother and shoving it back towards Dr.Shuzenji, "No way in hell am I being locked up in some stingy nut hut with a bunch of psychos!"

"Katsuki!" his mother barked back, ripping the paperback from her son's grasp, "Shut the hell up and let the damn woman talk! Stop being a whiny bastard!" She held the paper out to her husband, shooting a heavy glare at her son. Katsuki snarled back, glaring daggers back at the woman. Masaru eyed the two of them before gingerly taking the paper from his wife and skimming over it.

"I can understand your concern," Dr.Shuzenji spoke up, pulling Katsuki and his mother from their silent battle, "But UA isn't your average rehabilitation center. It acts more like a boarding school for troubled teens than it does as a correctional hospital. It'll resemble staying in dorms with classmates if anything. Katsuki, you will attend classes just like any other high school. They have quite the list of extracurricular activities as well as a point system you can earn outing with. I'd hate to take your last few years of childhood by sending you away to some military school. Boarding with several over teens in similar situations as you will be quite beneficial in the long run," she turned back to his parents, "Never in my forty years of practice have I heard of a case where their program failed. Katsuki is a good kid. I'm sure they'd love to give him a chance.

The room fell into a comfortable silence as both of his parents seemed to weigh their options. A boarding school for unstable freaks to learn from each other? No part of that seemed even remotely appealing to the impulsive teen but his parents seemed to have a different idea.

"When can we start?"

Bakugou spent more time then he cared to admit researching UA. A few nights after the counseling session, after a stiff family dinner, he retired to his room for the night. He was too emotionally drained to unlock new heroes in his All Might game but too alert to even hope of falling asleep. After thumbing in ' UA Rehabilitation Center' into his search bar, he was dragged right down the rabbit hole. Minutes turned to hours and pretty soon the sun was up again, blaring through his window.

Now there didn't seem to be anything too spectacular about it when the words **Plus Ultra **sprawled across a too-bright-yellow background, introducing a the program as a ' the best place for teen emotional development in all Japan '. He half debated closing it altogether and forgetting the program until he couldn't possible ignore it any longer but once he got reading, he really couldn't stop.

'Welcome to UA! ' An obnoxiously red text seemed to scream at him from his phone screen, ' We look forward to working with you!' Bakugou snorted to himself and started the grueling process of reading through the program scope. At first glance, it really did seem like your average boarding school. You got a dorm, went to classes, participated in school wide festivals and events. The only difference being the biweekly group therapy sections with your assigned class and tri-weekly individual sessions on the odd days out. Saturday's class dinners were mandatory and sundays were free days. Before he knew it, he had a somewhat positive outlook on the place. He had no idea what honestly possessed him to genuinely get into it but by the time the sun was high in the sky, he finally reached the end of the review pages. 'Contact us if you have any questions!' his screen told him.

He let out a breath through his nose and tossed his phone towards the foot of his bed. His parents were finally up it seemed, their rushed footsteps moving back and forth past his door, probably back and forth between the kitchen and either bedroom if he had to guess. However, they seemed to come to an eventual stop just outside his door as their hushed voices drifted into his dimly lit room. So much for an easy day of video games and ignoring the world.

He grunted to himself and threw himself back into his pillows, glaring at the poster hanging up on the wall by his bed. "Katsuki? You awake yet, brat?" the door slowly creaked open to reveal his mother. He rolled his head to the side and glared at her earning a hard look in return. "Oi! Brat! Don't give me that look! It's already 10 AM. Don't be a lazy bastard!" He dropped an arm over his eyes and flipped her off. "Your father and I have a few things to take care of at the office before we drive into Musutafu. Pack up the rest of your room, would you?"

Bakugou turned to look at the cardboard boxes stacked around his room. After discussing the move with Dr.Shuzenji, the three of them decided the sooner he moved into UA the better. Before long, the three of them were cooped up in his room, shoving his junk in boxes. He had a little more to pack up but ultimately his room looked so bare. "Whatever," he grunted, blindly fumbling for his duvet to try and get some sleep. "Fuck off you old hag." Mitsuki shook her head and moved into the room, ripping the blanket from her son.

"Watch your fuckin language, you damn brat," she snapped back, "Get up and go shower. You smell like death! And don't forget to pack up your toothbrush and your meds, either. We'll stop by that ramen place on the way out of town if you actually obey me for once." Bakugou grumbled grouchily before pushing himself to a sitting position. "Good boy. See you soon." He watched as his mother left his room, leaving his bedroom door wide open on her way out. He cursed her out under his breath before finally forcing himself from the bed. Might as well be productive.

Packing up the rest of his necessities was an almost surreal experience. It didn't really occur to him how real any of this was until he was standing on his bed, unpinning his poster from the wall. By this time tomorrow, if everything went according to his parents plans, he'd be setting up in a place he'd call home for the year to come. A small pit formed in his stomach as he rolled up the glossy paper and shoved it into one of the few open boxes. With everything packed away, he felt kinda lost.

As ordered, he showered and packed up his toiletries. There really wasn't anything he could do to stop any of this. Rage boiled up within him several times over those few lonesome hours. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Repeat.

He resigned himself to the couch when all was said and done and lost himself in an old anime channel, silently judging the creators for creating the pointless shows; growing irritated when the episode was left on a cliffhanger and nearly punching the TV. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Repeat. He burned himself on his tea and nearly broke his mother's fine china. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Repeat.

Four.

Seven.

Eight.

Repeat.

When his parents finally got home, it was a little after two. The three of them got to work loading up the back of his mother's SUV with his rooms boxes. "Are you ready, Katsuki?" she asked when all was said and done. He glared holes at his feet before giving her a half-assed grunt. She patted her legs before throwing one last glance at his childhood home. What was her deal? Wasn't like she was the one leaving for an extended period of time. Katsuki followed her gaze before turning away and sliding into the back of her car.

The same car where she usually gave him an earful was silent for the length of the two-hour drive to hell.

The drive into Musutafu was tiring. The hushed tones of his parents whispering in the front seat seeped past his headphones and nagged at his sluggest mind. He couldn't make out anything they were saying but he could feel them talking about him. His father threw an occasional glance at his son before giving a small pinched smile and turning back to the road in front of him. Bakugou turned his gaze out his tinted window and cranked the volume up on his phone; watching was Shizuoka Province gave way into the city.

Bakugou must have fallen asleep at some point because when he finally started to come to, his father turned off the main road onto a secluded, narrow drive that wrapped around a few corners. Bakugou grunted lightly to himself and lazily rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Mitsuki turned to look at him over her shoulder before offering him an encouraging smile. Her smile said it all. Slowly, he pulled the headphones from his ears and stuffed them haphazardly in his pocket along with his phone.

"Would you look at that," Masaru breathed out from the drivers seat as they approached the boarding school. True to its pictures, UA towered over its surrounding landscape. The impressing looking building was made of mostly glass, Katsuki noted, the stark blue contrasting the vibrant greens of the trees and grass surrounding it. He slowly pushed himself up from the door and peered out the window at the approaching building. Damn. The place was huge. Students milled around the courtyard, slowing to a stop to curiously watch the car drift past. Bakugou ducked back away from the window when one person pointed and muttered something to their friend.

The car pulled to a stop in front of the large building and as if on cue, a tall, dark haired man pushed through the front doors and moved down the front steps to greet them. The man was thin and tired looking, his long black hair framing his face and a thin grey scarf wrapped loosely around his neck and shoulders. The eyebags he was sporting were probably the most interesting thing about him. Bakugou snorted lightly as he slid out of the red SUV with his parents and stood before the man. Despite the expensive looking suit and nice shoes, Katsuki figured he looked for like a drug addict then whatever position he held at this nut hut. However in a place like this, Katsuki thought, he wouldn't be surprised if he was both.

"Welcome to UA," he greeted them, his voice as tasteless as his appearance, "You must be the Bakugous. I'm Aizawa Shota. We talked briefly on the phone last week?"

"Oh!" Mitsuki seemed to recover from the awe of their surroundings first, shooting an eager hand out to the male. "I'm Bakugou Mitsuki, this little Hellion's mother. This is my husband Masaru." Katsuki's father bowed his head respectfully and smiled up at the man. Aizawa gave his mother's hand a firm shake before moving to shake his father's as well. Katsuki could tell he'd hate this place already.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both in person," the suited man said, his zone as bored as Bakugou felt. "We discussed the program over the phone call so I won't get into the specifics. As I mentioned, I'll be Bakugou-kun's homeroom teacher this year." Katsuki gaped. This loser was his homeroom teacher? He growled lightly under his breath and sent daggers into the male. This was just peachy. Aizawa returned his glare with a level gaze and held out a manual to the teen. "I assume you're familiar with our program?"

"Fuckin course I am," Katsuki snapped back, snatching the thick booklet from his homeroom teacher, "no thanks to you losers." Mitsuki hissed at him under his respect, cuffing him upside the head with the back of her hand. "FUCK OFF, YOU OLD HAG! IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU DON'T TELL ME SHIT!" Mitsuki cuffed him again, glaring down at him. He snarled back at her and rubbed the back of his head.

"Katsuki. Please," his father muttered, motioning for him to breath with his hands, "you're leaving a bad first impression with your teacher." Katsuki shot him a quick glare before sucking in a deep breath and going through the motions again. Aizawa tucked his hands into his pockets and cleared his throat, clearly disinterested in the display.

"A few of the staff will take care of your things while I give you a tour of the school," he pulled a hand out towards Masaru and waited. The quiet man dropped his gaze towards the outstretched hand before hesitantly dropping his keys into the man's grasp. "You're car will be moved towards the dorm building. I assure you it will be in perfect condition when you return." Aizawa turned around and handed the keys to a broad shouldered man before proceeding to move up the stairs again. "Let's get started."

Sure enough, the tired, monotone man lead them around the school, practically monologuing every room they passed. Katsuki dug his his hand into his pocket to dig out his phone and shoved the earbuds into the ears. With his music on full blast, the cafeteria blurred into the gym followed by the nurses office, library, teacher's offices, and finally his classroom. Aizawa continued on whatever rant he was on, nodding along to his parents questions and offering answers where he could. Finally, the male slid the open the classroom door and said something in Katsuki's direction.

" Katsuki," his mother hissed, ripping his headphones from his ears with a pointed glare, "For the love of god show some damn respect for once in your life!" Katsuki ripped the headphones back from her and shoved them in his pocket.

"As I was saying," Aizawa spoke up again, casting a stiff glance in Bakugou's direction, "Your assigned seat is number seventeen. Class starts at 8 AM sharp monday through friday and I doubt I have to press this but you are expected to attend every class period, on time. If you ever find yourself too ill to do so, get the nurse to sign it off. Optional lessons are provided every second and fourth saturdays at 10 AM. You aren't required to attend but they are heavily recommended."

Bakugou brushed past his teacher and moved into the classroom, eyeing his assigned desk. Fortunately, he was on the furthest row from the door, seated comfortably by the large windows. He eyed the view, allowing his gaze to drift past the groups of students to the large playing field off to his right. He watched a couple extras lap the track before stepping back and knicking his knuckles against the hardwood desk. At least he wasn't at the back of the classroom. He'd hate having to squint at the board every damn day. He rocked back on his heels and headed back towards the other adults chatting mindlessly at the door.

"There are a few rules I'd like to emphasize before we reach the dorms," Aizawa motioned the group to follow him, "There with be no leaving the campus without permission and another classmate. We can't have anyone running off and getting themselves hurt without any way of getting them back safely. We're usually pretty lenient when it comes to these things however and we really do want you to feel at home here." Bakugou eyed his homeroom teacher as they made their way back towards the stairs. "You can understand why we request you don't push, pressure, or threaten any other student to share their issues with you. As you have your own triggers, they have theirs as well. Be considerate." The look his mother gave him made him growl back. He wasn't that big of an asshole.

Aizawa continued. "It is required you attend all sessions you're scheduled for, group or individual. We're here to provide help. Think of us as your partners. Please be on time and be considerate of the other students. While this is a safe place for you to express what you feel, keep the triggering statements in your own individual sessions. Saturday class dinners are required. We don't require you to eat but you do request you sit at the table with the rest of the group. The basics should be outlined in that manual I gave you earlier. Please read through it on your own time."

Katsuki rolled his eyes and clenched his fist around the rolled up book. If he could blow up things on command, there's no doubt he would have destroyed the rule book already. The three of them continued out the building and down a path towards a group of slightly smaller buildings. They weren't nearly large enough for the entire student body. Maybe each year? Separate dorms for the girls and boys? The passed a few kids on the way towards the building, a few having the audacity to wave in their direction. While Aizawa nodded and his mother waved, Katsuki fired each loser a glare and a middle finger. Luckily this time his mother only sighed in response.

When they came to a stop by the main doors, Aizawa turned to look at them. "Each class has their own dorm building. While the sides are gendered to avoid incidents, the common areas are joint. We believe in creating a close atmosphere for our students." The teacher asked the question bouncing around in his head. He slid the door open and lead the three of them into the main area of the dorms. Bakugou would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. A nice open floor plan gave way into the common area. A group of four tables sat to his left, comfortably nestled by what he assumed was the student kitchen. To his right was a comfortable living room looking space. Couches and plush looking seats were arranged around a decent sized coffee table, near an impressive flat-screen TV. He made a mental note to check the bookshelves on the far end of the room if there was anything worth watching.

"You have full, unrestricted access to the common areas including the kitchen, communal baths, laundry room, and everything you see," Aizawa stated, "However we do ask you keep your own, personal food items in your room seeing as we have a few students in your class who have eating disorders. Given your history and the history of your classmates, knife privileges are to be earned. Once it's deemed safe, you will be given a key to the knife drawer. It can, and will, be revoked if you fail to clean and put them away when you're done or you do something incredibly stupid. Understood?"

Katsuki felt is irritation peak again. He had to earn knives? What was he? A child? It wasn't like he was going to stab someone! He felt his stomach twist in on itself. He wouldn't put it past himself, however. He dug his nails into his palms and ground his teeth together.

He felt like a caged animal.

The three of them moved toward the elevator. "Each dorm room has its own bathroom, closet, and balcony along with an AC unit and mini-fridge. Should you need anything, feel free to ask either Mr.Yamada or I. We'll do our best to provide anything you need." They all moved out onto the fourth floor and stopped just outside the second to last room. "This will be your room. I apologize for the lack of locks. You can understand why we would need to take these precautions. Remember curfew is 11 PM and baths close at 10 PM. Food schedules are in the handbook. Do you have any questions?" The three of them shook their heads.

"Thank you," Mitsuki spoke up while her husband rested a hand on their son's shoulder. "For everything." Aizawa waved the statement of with the hint of a small smile.

"If you ever have any questions, feel free to call me at any time. I'll provide you with weekly reports every Sunday. Your son is in good hands," he stepped back from the group and tucked his hands back in his pockets. "The rest of my class should be returning form their service project here shortly so I'm afraid I'll have to leave you here. I trust you can find your way out. Have a safe trip home and a good evening. I'll see you tomorrow morning for your first class, Katsuki." Aizawa excused himself, leaving Katsuki alone with his parents.

That night, after several goodbyes from his parents, he sent the rest of the night unpacking his room and sitting in silence. This was it. Finally, with a stiff sigh, he dropped onto his newly made bed and curled into his pillow. Tomorrow was when it all starts. He drew in a shaky breath and let a few angry tears finally spill from his eyes. Tomorrow marks the first day of the rest of his life.


	2. Chapter Two

The pounding wouldn't stop.

The drumming of raindrops and the almost deafening white noise that filled the room didn't compare to the heft fist scraping and pounding at the door.

Katsuki felt a sob rip through his chest as he ducked further into the dark corner of what he assumed to be his childhood bedroom. He was young again, staring in disbelief as the fog like darkness crawled across the walls and floor, inching towards him. It fluttered and licked at his legs, drowning out the light around him. He snapped his eyes shut and cried out again, clawing at his hair and scalp with vulgar. " Katsuki," a low voice called in through his door causing his lungs to heave out a heavy sob, " Come back Katsuki." He tucked himself further into the wall, shaking his head frantically as if it would somehow deter the person behind the prison-like door. " Open the door Katsuki. Don't we always have fun together?"

Katuski pulled his knees closer to his chest, begging for it all to stop. The pounding got louder and louder, heavier and heavier, as his heart hammered on within his chest.

Katsuki jerked upwards. The worn grey duvet fell towards his lap as his wide gaze shot around the interior of his new dorm room. The bleak walls seemed to pull him slowly back to reality as he waited intently for the clawing at the door or to see the thick black fog creep in towards him again. He knew it was irrational, that he was safe , but heavy memories and images continued to taunt his frantic mind. He sucked in a deep breath and clawed at his t-shirt, pulling the sweat-drenched fabric over his head and tossing it somewhere into the void of his bedroom. The cool air danced across his damp skin, drawing goosebumps across his shoulders and back. He squinted lightly at the light spilling in through his balcony doors as he focused on his breathing. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. Repeat.

He felt his heart rate slowly sinking back to a normal pace as he swiped his fingers through his damp hair. The after-effects of the nightmare falling away from his rigid muscles. He drew in one last deep breath, swiping at his damp cheeks in the process.

He jumped when someone knocked at the door.

He stumbled out of his bed only to be tugged towards the ground again when his leg caught in the sheets of his bed. He fumbled to get out of the cotton's tight grasp when a few knocks sounded again. Was it just him or were they louder than the first? Thrown back into the internal panic from minutes before, he snapped his eyes shut and clawed at his leg, trying to rip his ankle free and leaving scorching red scrapes across his calf in his nail's wake.

Out! Hide! His mind screeched on. Frantic tears spilled from his eyes as his nails dug deeper into his flesh.

" Kaminari?" a voice hissed through the door followed by a brief silence. Bakugou's eyes snapped open, cleaving in the direction of the door. He watched for a moment as the shadows shifted under his door. " What are you doing?"

"Greeting the new guy? Wanna join me?" a second voice noted, causing the shadows to shift again. Katsuki felt something spark within his gut, twisting and coiling and burning holes into his conscious mind. He tugged the sheets away from his leg, practically throwing himself to his feet. He let out a low growl and kicked a box out of his way. " Relax, Kiri. No need to get anxious. Not like he's gonna hit me this e-"

That was exactly what Katsuki did when he finally ripped his door open.

Bakugou was seething. His fingernails dug into the palms of his palms. Aizawa shifted slightly in his chair across the desk from the three boys. "Can one of you explain to me what the hell happened his morning?" Bakugou ground his teeth together and glared holes into the desk in front of them. Aizawa let out a small sigh before turning towards Katsuki's left. "Kirishima?"

Bakugou's gaze snapped towards the red-haired loser, eyeing him down expectantly. Waiting for him to throw him under the bus for all of this. The idiot shifted awkwardly and balled his fists in his lap, throwing a glance in Bakugou's direction. "Don't get too mad at the new kid," he started hesitantly. Bakugou's eyebrows drew together as his lips fell open. Did he just- "Kaminari was the one to provoke him this morning. I don't know what happened before he opened the door but Kaminari probably bugged him for a good thirty minutes." The blond one let out a small gasp in betrayal, the smeared red across the tip of his nose and lips causing him to look ridiculous. He pressed a new tissue to his nose, dropping the old one in the trash.

Aizawa eyed the growing collection of bloody parcels with narrowed eyes before turning back towards the three of them.

"I'm sorry, man, but it's true," the larger of the two noted with a sheepish smile, rubbing at the back of his neck. "You're a lot to handle. 'Specially to new people."

"I just knocked on his door a few times!" the second protested. Bakugou snapped an irritated glance in his direction before rolling his eyes. "Okay maybe I knocked more than a few times but how was I supposed to know the guy was gonna hit me right off of the bat?! I mean hitting is completely different than hitting on, you feel me? You didn't have to throw hands to tell me I'm hot." Katsuki gargled back a choke at the bloody tooth smile and wink the idiot threw his direction.

"OH FUCK OFF," Katsuki snapped back, throwing aggressive middle fingers in the teen's direction, "I wasn't hitting on you! Who pounds on someone's door at six in the fuckin morning like a complete and utter dipshit !?"

"Seven-fifteen," the blond corrected, "and I do. Obviously ."

Aizawa cleared his throat and threw a glare in both their directions. "Kirishima. Take Kaminari to the nurse's office and see if they can't do anything about stopping his bloody nose." The redhead nodded slowly and pushed himself up from the chair. The blond twink stood up as well, moving towards the door. "And Kaminari? I expect you back here after you get that taken care of. You understand me?" The short boy tensed before shooting him a goony thumbs up.

"Do me a solid, Eraserhead," he cooed at the older man before shit-hair shot him a silent glare. "What? I demand justice! He probably broke my nose, man. How am I supposed to get all the chicks now?"

Katsuki barely heard the redhead snort and mutter a 'Don't worry man. Your nose wasn't your best feature anyway' as the door slid shut. Aizawa stared him down for a minute before sitting back in his chair. "Do you want to tell me what actually happened this morning or show I call your parents and report this?" Katsuki stiffened, dropping his gaze towards his clenched fists. They sat like that for a moment or two before his homeroom teacher reached for his desk phone.

"The freak startled me," Katsuki bit out finally. Aizawa eyed him for a minute before retracting his hand and motioning for him to continue. Bakugou felt the lump form in his throat. His nails dug deeper into his palms. "That's it. He startled me and it pissed me off."

"From what it seems, you didn't react instantly. Am I correct?" Aizawa's gaze narrowed, "Did you plan on hitting him before you did? Was it all planned revenge?"

"NO!" Katsuki barked out stiffly before grinding his fingers into his palms, "No! I didn't think about it! It kinda just happened-" Aizawa gave him a pointed look as he tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. He felt like an insect under a microscope. He could practically feel Aizawa glaring holes into his skin. He couldn't help but crumble under the intense gaze. "I just," he bit out, "I had a stupid fuckin nightmare." He risked a glance at the older man before averting his gaze again, blinking back his angry tears. He refused to break down. Not here and certainly not in front of anyone. "When I woke up to the idiot hammering at my door I kinda just reacted. I just snapped! I was so damn pissed that he scared me so I lashed out. That's it!"

"You hit him because he scared you?" Aizawa asked simply. Baku nodded stiffly. "Are you sure you weren't mad at yourself for having the nightmare in the first place?" Bakugou's gaze snapped up towards him, brows knitting together. Mad at himself? That had to be a joke. What part of being mad at himself would result in hitting someone else? Aizawa seemed to catch onto the storm of emotion blaring on within his head. "It's pretty normal to feel angry when you beat yourself up, Bakugou. You probably lashed out because you-"

"Yo! Shota!" the door slid open revealing a tall, thin man. The guy's green eyes snapped between the two of them before he shot over-dramatic finger guns at the tired man. "I hate to interrupt this groovy session but we've got a situation, you know? Funky little Mineta stole one of our snazzy girl's bags and now he's hiding out in the bathroom, yo. What do you want me to do?" Aizawa groaned and rubbed at his eyes.

"One minute, Yamada. I'll be right there." The dude shot him some enthusiastic thumbs up before leaving the room.

"AIZAWA SAYS HE'S ON HIS WAY," the guy's voice practically screeched down the hallway causing Katsuki to wince, "FOR THE TIME BEING, SIT BACK AND RELAX YOU SPUNKY LITTLE ROCK STARS, YOU."

Aizawa seemed completely unphased by the eruption. "Bakugou, how about you head back to the dorms and take the day off from class? Cool down and we'll talk about this later." The man stood up from his desk and swiped at his suit jacket. "Go take a bath or entertain yourself."

Katsuki watched as the man collected his things and left the room. With a low grunt, he stood from his seat and left as well. A free day? He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned towards the stairs. Sounds like a plan.

Katsuki couldn't remember the last time he ran just to run. Whether he was running into a fight or away from the authorities, there always seemed to be a reason for it. Running for the hell of it was a nice change of pace. He lapped the track again, sucking in deep breaths as his worn athletic shoes hammered against the packed dirt and cement of the school's track. He could feel his legs tremble with every step and his lungs burn for air. He loved it. When he rounded the track again, he watched as a familiar person closed in on the field.

Katsuki slowed to a stop, tugging his headphones out of his ears as the smiling idiot approached. Now that he wasn't raging, he could finally get a good look at the guy. He was maybe a centimeter or so shorter than him; Broad shoulders, angular edges, and a somewhat round face. His tan cheeks tugged up into the biggest grin Katsuki had ever seen. But the thing that attracted the most attention had to be his hair. The shit was firetruck red and spiked up like some damn hedgehog.

"I come in peace," the idiot stated, earning a hard look from Katsuki as he bent over to stretch our his tired muscles. "I wanted to apologize for what Kaminari did this morning. He has a tendency to be a little all over the place.

Katsuki stood up and tugged his knee towards his chest. "You came to apologize for your friend?"

Shit-hair smiled awkwardly and absently scratched at the back of his head. "I mean that's apart of it," he chuckled, "but I also wanted to apologize for tackling you this morning. I didn't know what else to do." Katsuki grunted before dropping his leg and tugging the second up as well.

"S' whatever," he muttered awkwardly. If the guy hadn't jumped in, he couldn't imagine what he would have done. He let go of his leg and averted his gaze as he stretched his arms over his head. "Is he, you know. Is he okay?"

"Kaminari? Yeah! He's totally fine," the redhead beamed, "nothing's broken. He's just a little bruised and bitter about it. No need to worry, man."

"I'm not worrying!" Bakugou snapped back before forcing himself to take a deep breath, "How did you even know I was out here running?"

"Saw you from our classroom. Figured I'd come to catch you and apologize," Kirishima offered, pointing up towards the main building. Bakugou squinted lightly at where he assumed his classroom was. He totally forgot you could see the track from there. He ducked to grab his hand towel and water bottle.

"You don't have to apologize to me, shitty-hair," Katsuki grumbled, wiping absently at his face and neck. The kid seemed to watch him curiously before dropping his gaze and shrugging. Bakugou fished his phone out of his pocket and eyed the time. "Isn't last period still in progress? What are you doing out here?" Kirishima's gaze jumped back towards him.

"Oh yeah. I guess it technically still is," he laughed. Bakugou simply rose an eyebrow. "Ectoplasm let us out of math early."

" Ectoplasm?"

"Oh guess that is a weird name, isn't it?" he grinned, "No one actually remembers his name or knows how to pronounce it so we all call him Ectoplasm! When you see what he looks like, you'll understand why. He's a nice guy and all but he's kinda terrifying out of context. I think he likes the nickname though since he never really corrects us when we address him by it."

Bakugou grunted absently before turning to head back towards the dorms. The kid didn't take long to fall in step next to him. "Your name's Bakugou, right?" Katsuki shot him a short nod before continuing on. "That's a pretty cool name, man. Haven't heard anything like it before." They both fell into a relatively content silence as they moved across the grass towards their class building. Kirishima stuffed his hands in his pockets and threw an occasional glance in the ash-blonde's direction. Katsuki felt his eye twitch.

"If you want to say something, say it Shitty-Hair," he grunted.

"My name's Kirishima," the smiley bastard corrected and jabbed a finger in the direction of Bakugou's head, "and my hair's not that different from yours."

"My hair's nothing like yours, loser," Katsuki snorted.

"Don't diss the spiked if you do that same thing, man."

"The hell?" Katsuki shot back, a pinched look on his face."I don't fuckin spike it like your disaster of red and teenage angst. It's fuckin' all natural, you dimwit." Kirishima's eyes widened earning a snort from Katsuki. "Does it look like I put that hair destroying cement shit in my hair?"

"Woah. Dude. Really? That's all natural?" he mused, "You don't even bleach it?"

" Hell no. You think I'm gonna ruin my hair with bleach?" Kirishima gaped, his eyes seeming to card through the ash-blonde strands framing Bakugou's face. Katsuki rose an eyebrow and threw his towel over his shoulder as they walked. "Sucks to suck."

Kirishima snorted, rolling his eyes. "Guess so. We can't all be all dainty and pretty as you, can we?"

"Oh fuck off, hair for brains," Katsuki rolled his eyes back, "I'm hot as hell and we both know it."

Kirishima roared into a fit of laughter, earning a few smug looks from Katsuki. It had been years since he held a casual conversation with anyone outside his immediate family. It was kinda nice. "Oh yeah, man. Totally," Kirishima wheezed through his nose, hacking out ugly snorts. Bakugou figured if there was anything they should be laughing out, it was that hyena cry the redhead called his laugh. The shit was as hilarious as it was ridiculous. At least he could say it was natural. He cracked a smiled. "Oh! Hey! Blasty knows how to smile!"

Katsuki lightly shoved him away as they reached the front doors of the building. He entered like the boss ass bitch is and threw a few hard looks in the direction of his new classmates. A few greeted him happily. He really couldn't resist firing a few middle fingers and 'tsk's in response.

"Bakubro," Kirishima seemed to follow him into the kitchen, "Be nice to our classmates. You don't wanna make a bad first impression do you?" Bakugou shot him a middle finger too and rummaged through the cupboards for a cup. Kirishima grinned and pointed to his right. "That cupboard."

Bakugou grumbled a quiet thank you before grabbing a class and filled it up with the sink faucet. Bakugou eyed the drawer with the lock before turning to eye Kirishima. "You one of the select few that has knife privileges?" he joked dryly. Kirishima tensed awkwardly and weakly dropped his gaze towards the drawer.

"Oh. No. I don't" he forced a stiff chuckle and tugged at his uniform sleeves. Bakugou watched him for a moment before downing the glass of water and filling it up again.

"Kiri. Bro, you conspiring with the enemy?" Katsuki turned to watch the two losers join the mix. The blond guy from earlier that morning shot him a lopsided grin swooped in next to Kirishima and leaned against the bar. He was actually kinda thin and awkward looking, looking almost tiny text to Kirishima's broad physique and the tall extra that came in with him. The blond kid grinned with his wide, almost cat-like eyes, sweeping his long fringe out of his eyes. Did this kid really dye a lightning bolt into his hair? Katsuki made note of the red and violet bruising littered across his cheekbone and the side of his nose.

"Of course not," Kirishima laughed, shooting a wide grin at his friend, "This is Bakugou, the new guy. Bakugou this is Kaminari and Sero. I mean you technically met Kaminari this morning but I doubt that counts as a formal introduction."

"So you're the guy that hit our dear little Kami here?" the tall one jumped in. Katsuki let his gaze linger for a minute, taking the lanky features of the guy. There actually didn't seem to be anything all too unique about him. His jet black hair covered a part of his large forehead and spilled over his neck in a make-shift mullet of sorts. The most distinguishing feature would have to be his lazy, bold smile. Before Bakugou could offer a rebuttal, the kid dropped a hand on his shoulder and grinned wider. "Let me just personally thank you for knocking our bro down a few notches. You're a hero. God knows we've all wanted to do it since day one." Kaminari gasped dramatically and punched his tall friend's shoulder. He shot a look at Kirishima who only shrugged in response.

"I'm hurt!" Kaminari whined, his wide grin betraying the statement. He threw an arm over Kirishima's shoulder and pointed an accusing finger at Soy Sauce, as Bakugou nicknamed him. "Honestly wounded man. I thought you were Bae but turns out you're just fam." Sero mocked a shocked expression and clutched his chest. Kaminari shot him a sloppy wink before turning towards Katsuki again. "Love you Ser-bro. No homo. And I guess I can forgive Blasty even though he never actually apologized for punching me." Katsuki felt something spark to life within him as his grasp tightened around his glass.

"Kami," Kirishima warned, "Don't egg him on."

"What?" Kaminari challenged with a shrug, "It's not his fault he was born an asshole."

Bakugou dug his fingers into the glass. As if responding to the storm budding within his chest, the cup cracked and gave into his hold. Kirishima jumped from where he was sitting, eyes snapping towards Bakugou. "Dude!" he lept from his chair, "Holy shit! You're bleeding!" Bakugou unclenched his fist and glanced down at his palm. Sure enough, blood pooled in his palm and dripped from spaces between his fingers.

Kirishima fumbled for the paper towels. "Sero! Get the first aid kit!" The lanky bastard snapped out of his trance and bolted towards the closet across the common room from them. Kirishima firmly grasped at Bakugou's wrist and dabbed at the cuts. Katsuki hissed in pain and jerked his hand away from the sudden contact. "Dude! Let me help."

Kaminari peaked over Kirishima's shoulder and gaped at the bloody mess. "Shit man. Why'd you break the cup?" Groups of students pooled around the counter to survey the scene. He could feel all their gazes moving across him and his hand. Muttering drifted through the room. The fire burned hotter withing Katsuki's chest as he stepped back from the redhead. Kirishima's gaze shot up in his direction before reaching for his arm again.

"JUST FUCK OFF!" Bakugou exploded causing the group to jump and shy away from him. He ripped his arm out of grasp and curled his fingers into fists again. "I CAN DO IT MYSELF!" He shoved past Kaminari and Kirishima before moving towards the elevator.

He ignored the male calling after him.

It was well past midnight when Bakugou pulled on a sweatshirt and moved towards his door to go on a run. He'd skipped eating all together that day so he figured he's sneak off campus for a bit and stop by a corner store. However, when he swung his door open, his gaze handed on a small grocery sack and flash card at his feet. Hesitantly, he reached down and retrieved it, eyeing the bottled tea and few protein bars. He flipped over the note and skimmed the messy handwriting.

_Hey man! We missed you at dinner! Hope your hands okay. Kaminari says he's sorry for saying that messed up stuff eariler. In case your hungry, we all ran towards the student store to get this for you. (We didn't know if we should knock or not after this morning so hope you find this.) Remember to keep your energy up! Hope to see you in class tomorrow! _

_Kirishima Eijirou _

_Kaminari Denki _

_Sero Hanta _

_And Ashido Mina ( she looks forward to meeting you! :D ) _

Those Bastards. He couldn't help by smile.


End file.
